


wanna be your forever (greatest love story you've ever seen)

by Menacherie



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Texas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 11:14:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16117244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Menacherie/pseuds/Menacherie
Summary: Jamie doesn’t know what life without Tyler is like. It would be like life without water, or air. Jamie and Tyler, Tyler and Jamie, it doesn’t matter which way you say it, that’s how everyone knows them.He doesn’t even remember meeting Tyler, and sometimes Jamie thinks that’s the worst part of all of it in the end. He doesn’t remember the most important moment in his whole damn life.





	wanna be your forever (greatest love story you've ever seen)

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings at the end. 
> 
> Thanks to sinsense for the beta!

Jamie may be from some small town in Texas, but that doesn’t mean he’s _stupid._

\--

Jamie doesn’t know what life without Tyler is like. It would be like life without water, or air. Jamie and Tyler, Tyler and Jamie, it doesn’t matter which way you say it, that’s how everyone knows them. 

He doesn’t even remember meeting Tyler, and sometimes Jamie thinks that’s the worst part of all of it in the end. He doesn’t remember the most important moment in his whole damn life. 

\--

They meet at daycare, they sit next to each other in the first grade, they’re are sent halfway across the room from each other in second grade, and they spend the rest of their school careers driving their teachers crazy because there isn’t a point in separating them, not really. Jamie and Tyler just connect on another level. 

“I think I’ve got that ESP shit,” Tyler mumbles to him one day. 

“Hmm?” Jamie asks, looking up from his book.

“I mean, at least with you,” Tyler says, finally glancing up from the TV. “Or maybe you have it, I dunno,” he says, and lifts the shoulder closest to Jamie. 

Jamie smiles at him and squeezes his shoulder. He feels Tyler relax where his shoulder is leaning against Jamie’s leg. 

\--

Jamie spends half of his time surrounded by puppies. The Seguins breed labradors, the best hunting dogs in the state of Texas. People get the dogs shipped all over the country. It’s cool. 

It’s always nice to just walk over to Tyler’s house and flop down on the floor and get covered by puppies in under a minute. 

Tyler’s dad still works in insurance, always comes through the door with a briefcase and his tie loosened. Jamie’s not sure why he needs another job when they make a killing with the dogs. 

“Cuz they’re mom’s dogs,” Tyler tells Jamie one afternoon, when they’re eating in the kitchen. He lets his spoon drop into his cereal bowl and looks over at Jamie.

Jamie tilts his head. “What do you mean they’re your mom’s dogs?” 

“Mom’s family is the one that’s always done the breeding, Dad knows shit-all about the dogs really. Just knows that they make money.” 

Jamie frowns at that and takes a slow bite of his cereal. 

Tyler gets up and rinses his bowl out and leaves it in the sink flipped upside down. “Wanna play more Halo?” he asks. 

“Yeah, just lemme finish,” Jamie tells him. 

\--

Jamie’s mom is a teacher, and his dad handles horses. If they lived anywhere else he would have never met Tyler. 

\--

Jamie is ten when he realizes that his brother is different than everyone else. He only realizes it because someone tells him. 

He knows the word that Jake from up the road called his brother because of video games. The punch he throws at Jake he learned from Jordie, though. It’s enough to shut Jake up for a while, since he has to get a fake tooth from the fancy dentist all the way up in Dallas. 

The way Jordie’s face goes white at the word, though, that look burrows its way into Jamie’s chest and sticks there. 

\--

Tyler’s family goes on vacation the same week of Jamie’s birthday and Tyler absolutely refuses to leave town. “You know when Jamie’s birthday is!” Tyler yells at his parents. Jamie ducks behind the door of Tyler’s room when he sees the thunderous look on Tyler’s dad’s face. 

“It’s the _same day_ every YEAR!” Tyler yells, and slams his door shut. 

Jamie’s breath catches, and he pulls Tyler away from the door. “Ty, you gotta go.” 

“NO! It’s not FAIR!” Tyler yells at the door, instead of looking at Jamie. 

“Ty-”Jamie starts, but Tyler finally looks at him.

“I’m not leaving you on your birthday, I’ll just stay at your house for a week,” Tyler says, like it’s the most reasonable idea in the world. He grabs a bag, and Jamie falls back on Tyler’s bed with a sigh.

He isn’t sure what happens, but Tyler’s mom must be magic, because Tyler’s dad doesn’t beat the shit out of him for yelling, _and_ Tyler is spending the week long vacation with Jamie instead of going to see family. 

Tyler shoots Jamie a grin as they both climb into Jordie’s truck. 

\--

For all that Jordie picks them up from Tyler’s house they spend half their time back at the Seguin household to feed the dogs and check up on Molly. 

“This way they didn’t have to hire anyone to do all this,” Tyler says. “I didn’t trust the lady they were gonna get anyways,” Tyler mumbles.

Jamie rolls his eyes and flops over the edge of the couch to grab the remote. He tries to find something trashy enough to keep Tyler’s attention, yet still decent enough to catch his own attention. 

Tyler lets out a groan and flops on top of Jamie. Jamie wriggles around, trying to get comfortable, but Tyler jams his hands under Jamie’s shirt and grabs his hips. Jamie freezes, suddenly aware of every part of his body.

“Stop, you’re comfortable,” Tyler says, dropping his head on Jamie’s stomach. 

Jamie doesn’t breathe, and Tyler snags the remote from him. 

“Aw hell no,” Jamie says, coming back to life when he sees roses floating across the screen. “Not _The Bachelor_.” 

“But it’s true love!” Tyler yelps, and then reels back when Jamie makes a grab for the remote. 

“C’mon, please,” he says, sticking out his lower lip. Jamie blinks. “Dad never lets me watch it,” Tyler continues. 

“I, I guess, it’s okay, tonight,” Jamie says slowly. He can feel his face flushing when Tyler throws himself at Jamie and hugs him. 

\--

Just because Jamie and Tyler are, well, _Jamie and Tyler_ doesn’t mean that they don’t have other friends. 

Brownie moves into town in the 8th grade and nearly wrecks the whole social order when he and Tyler become close friends practically overnight. Jamie spends the first month after Brownie’s arrival in a horrible mood. Spends so much time at his own house that his parents nearly kick him out to sort his problems out. 

It’s not that Jamie doesn’t like Brownie, it’s just. Tyler lights up when he sees Brownie, and Jamie was used to that look being just for him. 

“Bro,” Tyler says, cornering him at his locker one afternoon after football practice. 

Jamie’s shoulders raise. He hasn’t hit his growth spurt yet, even though he can feel it in his bones, and for once in their lives, Tyler is an inch taller than him. Tyler’s arm brushes his ear as he leans in. 

“You haven’t been by to see Molly’s litter yet,” Tyler says, frowning at him. “Or been over to play Halo all month.” 

Jamie presses himself against his locker, his lock digging into his back between his shoulder blades. “I didn’t wanna third wheel. You only have two controllers,” he muttered. 

“So?” Tyler asks. 

“You weren’t hanging out with Brownie?” Jamie mumbles. 

Tyler leans in to hear him and sighs. “Bro,” he says, leaning back and clutching his chest. “Halo Sleepovers are sacred, I wouldn’t share them with just anyone. I thought about it after you cancelled for the third time, but then I figured something was up.” Tyler pauses and then glances around, even though the school is nearly empty. “Is everything okay?” he whispers. 

Jamie flushes a ruddy red that he feels all the way to his toes. “I’m fine, I’ll be over tonight for Halo.”

Tyler’s smile, the one that he thought was just his, makes an appearance, and the heat from his face spreads. Maybe he’s getting sick.

\--

High School, Jamie decides, is hell. Tyler’s smile gets brittle, and he pulls away from Jamie in the halls instead of letting their shoulders brush. Tyler sits next to Brownie more often, distances himself from Jamie in public, and Jamie understands because he does it too. Creates this artificial barrier that doesn’t really need to be there. 

\--

Jamie turns thirteen and starts saving for a truck. Any truck. A truck means that if he really wants to, he can drive out that hour to get to the mall and the movie theater. He can go camping, he can go fishing whenever he wants. Thirteen year-old Jamie takes a box, prints out a picture of a truck from the library and glues it on to the box. 

Every penny that he saves goes in that box. By the time he passes his driving test he’s got three thousand dollars. 

“Holy shit,” Tyler whispers when Jamie pulls the box out from underneath his bed. 

“That’s not a lot for a truck,” Jamie says, looking through the money again. 

“You could probably grab someones ‘95,” Tyler says hesitantly. 

Jordie ducks his head in the door and Tyler and Jamie both look up. Jamie quickly shoves the money back in the box, but Jordie is already staring. “Holy shit, Chubbs.” 

“It’s for a truck,” Jamie tells Jordie, his face red. 

“Oh,” Jordie smirks. “So you don’t want mine?” 

Jamie drops his box. “What?” he asks. 

“Me’n Mom’n Dad figured we could finagle a new truck for me and give you mine? Unless you wanna pay me whatever you’ve got there for it.” 

“No fucking way!” Jamie shouts and nearly overturns the box to throw himself at Jordie. 

Jordie laughs and ducks out of the way, and Jamie only avoids running into the wall because Tyler grabs the back of his shirt. 

“Jam, you’ve got three thousand dollars just chilling out under your bed, and now Jordie knows about it. You better get that shit in a bank,” Tyler tells him later that night. 

Jamie scrambles off of his bed and checks to make sure the box is still under his bed. “You’re right,” he says reluctantly.

\--

The first thing they do, as soon as Jamie puts the key in the ignition, is go camping. Well, camping is a little overstating it. They pack sandwiches and convince Jordie to bribe Jase to bribe Jase’s cousin into getting them a six-pack and they drive off into the woods with a sleeping bag each. They spend the night in this back of the truck, sharing the six-pack and staring up at the stars. 

“Wonder what it looks like somewhere else,” Tyler whispers. 

“I heard they’ve got light pollution in all the big cities and stuff,” Jamie says. “Can’t see but a couple of stars, the really bright ones.” Out here, away from town, Jamie can see everything. 

“Makes you think,” Tyler shifts, and Jamie glances over at him. “Makes you think, what else is out there?” 

“Makes me feel small,” Jamie tells Tyler quietly. 

“Yeah,” Tyler echoes.

\--

Jordie and Jason pack up and leave the night of their graduation. They don’t even have their diplomas in hand, not really. Jordie’s been saving for this since he got his job at the diner in sophomore year, and Jason’s been running his lawn service since as long as anyone can remember. It makes sense, Jamie knows, but it still catches him by surprise. 

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” Jamie asks, eyes wide. 

“Me and Jase are leaving,” Jordie says, throwing a bag into the back of his truck. 

“Did someone say something?” Jamie asks, trying to figure out how he didn’t know. 

“No,” Jordie says. “Nothin’ worse than usual, but I’m not giving them a chance to. I’m not gonna sit here and do that to Jason,” Jordie says, and then finally looks at Jamie. “You know I’m not leaving you, right? You can come visit any time, well as soon as we have a real place to stay, I’ll make sure we get a really comfy futon.” 

Jamie’s eyes are prickling with tears, but he refuses to cry. “I can’t believe you’re running away!” 

Jordie puts his bag down and grabs Jamie by the shoulder. “Sometimes a tactical retreat is the smartest option,” he tells Jamie, presses a kiss to his forehead. 

Jason comes up the street. He’s dragging a rolling suitcase behind him and struggling with a couple of duffle bags.Jordie squeezes Jamie’s shoulders before moving to help him. 

“Hey Jamie!” Jason says, and throws one of his duffles in the back of Jordie’s truck. He presses a kiss to the corner of Jordie’s mouth when Jordie takes one of his bags. 

Jamie feels like he’s been punched in the stomach. But Jason and Jordie don’t care, they’re _leaving_ , so they can do that sort of thing whenever they want. 

And Jamie can’t blame him.

“Don’t forget me,” he tells Jordie, who scoffs. 

“Like I could, Chubbs,” Jordie says. 

Jamie nods, and then nearly tackles his brother in a hug, like it’s the last one he’ll ever get. “I’ll miss you,” he blurts. 

Jordie sighs and pulls him even closer. “I wish I didn’t have to leave you behind.” 

\--

Tyler comes over that night. He has circles under his eyes. He grabs Jamie’s hand tight and doesn’t let go and they spend the whole night on the couch watching whatever pops up on TV. 

Late, so late that they’ve muted the TV and the only sound in the house is the fridge, Tyler squeezes his hand again. “He’ll be better, in Dallas,” Tyler’s voice is so quiet, he almost doesn't hear it. 

“I know,” Jamie whispers back. 

“Won’t have to look over his shoulder,” Tyler says. 

Jamie takes a rattling breath and Tyler turns, quick as a flash and grabs his shoulders. “You’ve got me, I’ve got you, we don’t need anyone else. You always remember that, okay?” 

Jamie nods, startled. “Of course.” 

“I mean it,” Tyler says fiercely. “I don’t care one shit about what people think about me. Ass long as you’ve got my back and my momma loves me then I know I’m doing the right thing-- and you know my momma’s rules.” 

“Rule Number One, Momma Loves You,” Jamie says. There are tears gathering in his eyes.

“Rule Number One,” Tyler says, “Tyler’s Got Jamie’s Back.” 

Tyler presses his forehead to Jamie’s and they breathe the same air for a few moments before Tyler pulls back. “Don’t forget,” Tyler says, and then the house is quiet again. 

\--

They both make varsity, not that it’s a surprise. They’ve both been on the JV team since seventh grade. Jamie knows that everyone whispers about how great of a quarterback Tyler will be, if he could just grow up a bit. 

Jamie just wishes that people would stop comparing him to his brother. They don’t even play the same position.

\--

Tyler’s favorite spot in the world (besides under a pile of hunting dogs) is the bridge on the outside of town. Whenever Jamie can’t find Tyler, he heads towards the bridge. 

Brownie sends him an SOS text, something about Tyler’s dad, and Jamie tells his mom that he’s spending the night with Tyler.

She waves him off, he knows she’s got tests to grade this late in the semester. She probably hasn’t even heard him.

Jamie makes it to the bridge in ten minutes, dust and gravel kicking up behind the wheels of the truck. He scowls as he hops out of the truck. There’s dust all over it, and he swipes at a bit of it before sighing and shaking his head. He grabs the six-pack he wheedled out of Rhett down at the corner store and walks over to Tyler. 

No one ever comes up here anymore, not since the new bypass they opened up a few years ago. No point in driving through here anymore, not unless you’re Tyler. 

“Thanks,” Tyler says, leaning against the bars that are supposed to keep cars from flipping, but now keep Tyler from falling into the water. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Jamie says. “You owe me, Rhett is gonna make me do something stupid just for a fuckin’ six-pack.” 

“Mmm, yeah,” Tyler says. Jamie sets the six-pack on the ground next to him. 

“We stayin’ out tonight or sneakin’ into your house later?” Tyler asks, glancing up at Jamie. His pupils are blown open. 

“Shit, what happened?” Jamie asks, sitting down next to Tyler and popping one of the beers open. 

“Brownie heard Dad,” Tyler says with a shrug. “Got me some of his good shit.” 

“Well then we’re definitely sleeping in the truck tonight,” Jamie says and takes a pull of his beer. They’ve done it a few times now. Tyler says he’s sleeping at Jamie’s and Jamie says he’s sleeping at Tyler’s. No one cares enough to check, not at this point in their life. 

Jamie even keeps a few sleeping bags in his truck now. He tells everyone it’s for camping, but its partly for nights like this, when Tyler is gonna be too fucked up to go home and deal with his dad. 

“If I wouldn’t have to leave the dogs and my sisters I think I’d go to Dallas too,” Tyler says after a few minutes of quiet. 

“What about me?” Jamie asks. 

“You’re gonna follow me wherever I go anyways, my ass gets in too much trouble without you,” Tyler tells him, a smile flashing across his face. 

Jamie rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t exactly deny it. 

\--

“Yeah, and how do we know he isn’t like his brother?” Davis snaps out in the middle of the first practice of summer, when the subject of Jamie being Captain is raised. 

Coach Sharp smacks Davis in the back of his helmet with his clipboard. The clipboard bounces off with a sharp sound that silences the rest of the team. “I don’t wanna hear that bullshit out on this field,” he says, voice cold in the vicious heat of the summer. 

Coach Sharp isn’t older than most of them, in fact no one is even sure he’s got a degree. It doesn’t really matter to most people. All they care about is that Coach Sharp was the last local boy to lead the team to the State Championships. Three times in a row, at that. 

“I don’t care what you think off this field, not that I’m sure half of you actually think, but on this field you’re a fuckin’ team, so act like it,” Sharp says. 

Still, no one catches Jamie’s eyes for a solid twenty minutes after the scolding. Tyler does bump his shoulder when they take a knee to go over a play though. Jamie’s stomach clenches with panic that he _knows._

\--

Jamie is mostly silent on the ride home. Tyler shakes his head at Jamie and climbs out of the truck when they get to his house. He pauses, hand on the handle, and foot still in the truck. “Y’wanna hang out with the puppies?” he asks. 

“Molly gonna let me?” 

“Molly loves you, man,” Tyler says, rolling his eyes. He grabs his bag from the back of the truck and slams the door shut. Jamie makes a pained noise at the sound, but sighs and turns the ignition off. 

Tyler makes sure to kick his boots off at the front of the house when he drops his bag next to them. “Shoes off, I heard Parvo was goin’ round.”

Jamie bends to take his boots off. He lines them up and grabs Tyler’s to put them upright against the wall with the rest of the family’s shoes. 

Tyler shakes his head and walks into the den, where Molly and the puppies have taken over. He wades into the middle of the litter. “You picked one out yet?” Jamie asks.

“I dunno,” Tyler says. 

Tyler lies down on the carpet, letting the puppies climb on him and gnaw on his arms. Jamie sits next to him. The puppy breath washes over him. He sinks his hand into Molly's fur. She lets out a sigh and her tail thumps against the couch. “I was thinking the white one,” Tyler says. 

“What, so you can complete the set?” Jamie jokes. 

Tyler giggles and twists his head when one of the puppies shoves its paw into his mouth. 

“I guess,” Tyler says. He pushes himself up and moves to sit on the other side of Molly, picking up the lone white puppy. “Plus, he’s not the runt, and he’s not that big, he’ll get picked last either way.” 

“I thought no one wanted runts?” Jamie asks. 

“Nah man, runts are ‘soooo cute.’” 

Jamie huffs out a laugh and shakes his head. 

They sit there in silence until Tyler’s sisters burst through the front door of the house, startling Molly. She lets out a startled bark and the puppies respond with little squeaking barks. 

The white one stays curled up on Tyler’s lap, and he looks at it a little helplessly. “I’m gonna name him Gerry,” Tyler says. 

Jamie groans and lets his head fall back against the couch. 

\--

It’s a Thursday, and the sun is setting behind them, the sky turning red and purple in the rear-view mirror. Jamie’s wasting gas, driving them around.

Tyler’s hand is hanging out of the window. His eyes are closed, and every now and then he lifts his hand up and plays with the wind. 

“We still fishing this weekend?” he asks, as the sun truly starts to die. 

Jamie spares him another glance. His cheeks are slightly flushed from football practice in the Texas heat, and his hair is mussed from the wind. Jamie looks back at the road before answering.“Jordie invited me up to Dallas this weekend.” Tyler hums, and tilts his head to look over at him, and Jamie feels bold. “Do you wanna see if your parents will let you go?” 

Tyler turns his head to look back out of the window. Jamie’s heart plummets. “You know dad would freak out if I mentioned Jordie or Dallas to him,” he says quietly. 

“Mom doesn’t really want me going either,” Jamie says. She never says anything, but she looks at Jamie with something like fear in her eyes whenever Jordie is brought up. He’s not sure if she’s afraid for him, or of him. 

Tyler scoffs. “Then my dad definitely wouldn’t let me go.”

“Yeah,” Jamie agrees, a sigh escaping his mouth before he can stop it.

Jamie lets himself imagine what could have happened this weekend though, in Jordie’s boxy Oak Cliff apartment. Just for a moment, lets himself think about what could have been. Then Tyler sighs and leans his head against the back of his seat and he pushes the thoughts out of his head. 

\--

Jamie never does anything. He plays football, he helps coach with pee-wee on weekends, he works at the same diner that his brother did. He hangs out with Tyler, goes fishing. 

He remembers the way Jordie’s face lost all of its color when Jake said that word. He remembers what people said about Jordie--what they’re still saying--remembers how many fights Jordie got into in high school. 

Sometimes though, he looks at Tyler. That’s all he allows himself. He doesn’t do anything else. He isn’t his brother.

\--

Tyler presses his head against Jamie’s shoulder. They’re soaking wet; Jamie threw Tyler into the creek, and Tyler dragged him in after. The smooth stones underneath Jamie press uncomfortably against his legs, but he stills between one breath and the next. 

“Why do other people exist?” Tyler asks. His lips are brushing against Jamie’s skin. Jamie opens his mouth to answer, but Tyler shakes his head and pulls away. “Stupid question,” he mumbles. 

Jamie watches the water lap at his feet. “Sometimes I wish it was just the two of us too,” he admits. 

Tyler gently presses their fingers together for a second, just long enough for Jamie to feel the pressure, before he moves to get up. Jamie grabs his hand and squeezes back before dropping his hand and walking back into the creek. 

\--

The thing is. 

The thing is, Jamie has been saving money for _something_ since he was 13. 

The thing is, between babysitting, tutoring, coaching, working at the diner and saving his allowance obsessively, Jamie has almost eight thousand dollars sitting in the bank. 

\--

“I think you’re good enough to get a football scholarship, and certainly smart enough to get a scholarship based on your ACT and SAT scores. You volunteer in the community as well.” The counselor is talking, but Jamie isn’t even really sure what she’s saying. 

\--

“I don’t even want to do insurance,” Tyler blurts out one night. They’re parked out in the woods, where no one would ever actually find them. 

“I always thought you were gonna work with the dogs,” Jamie tells him, turning in his sleeping bag to look at him. 

“Dad told me that the girls could help mom with the dogs and I could go into insurance, like him.” 

Jamie paused and looked over at Tyler. “Tyler, you’re horrible at math, like, insurance would be the worst job for you, ever.” 

Tyler sat up and nodded at him. “Right!?” he yelled, throwing his hands up in the air. 

“Besides, you’ve already _got_ your own dogs,” Jamie says. Marshall has even sired a litter. 

“Yeah, I don’t know what to tell him,” Tyler says. 

Jamie’s mouth twists and they both fall silent.

\--

Jamie visits Jordie once. 

Everything is the same, everything is different. Jamie can’t even tell Tyler about his weekend in Dallas because it feels out of this world different. Jamie goes to Dallas with his mom about once a year, usually during the Tax Free Weekend before school starts. Of course, with his mom, he’s just shopping. 

Hanging out with Jordie means he gets to meet all of Jordie’s new friends. It’s different, seeing his brother in a world where he’s comfortable. 

Jordie is never the loudest person in the room, and he never will be. But back home, Jordie never spoke four words when three would do, unless Jason was there. In Dallas, Jordie always seems to be talking, telling Jamie about people he doesn’t know. 

He can tell Jordie is home from the fact that Jason and Jordie hold hands when they walk down the street and he doesn’t hear a single slur.

“Is it always this good?” Jamie asks. 

“Not always,” Jason says, “There’s always gonna be hate in the world, in people’s hearts.”

Jamie takes a bite of his food and nods. 

“But,” Jason continues, “I don’t wake up fearing what the day will bring anymore. I don’t wake up afraid that my dad is gonna beat the shit out of me one day,” he pauses and holds Jordie’s hand. “I don’t wake up alone anymore.” 

\--

Gerry and Cash are snoring at the end of the bed of the truck. A random paw twitches where it’s pressed against the back of Jamie’s leg. The sun is just starting to peek over the horizon and paint the whole world.

Jamie’s sleeping bag is half pushed down from moving around all night. He thinks back to what Jason said and stares at Tyler’s still-sleeping face. He feels vaguely guilty, imagining a slightly different scenario, one with an actual bed in it. 

He reaches out and brushes Tyler’s hair out of his face and tries to jump back when Tyler’s hand grabs his wrist. Tyler blinks awake, and lets go of Jamie’s hand, gives him a sleepy smile, and Jamie’s heart shatters. 

“I love you,” Jamie blurts, before he can help himself. 

“I know,” Tyler says, still sleepy, but still smiling. 

Gerry, hearing them talk, wiggles his way up into Tyler’s arms, and Tyler muffles a laugh into Gerry’s fur. 

They don’t say anything of substance for the rest of the day, but whenever they sit and watch the dogs run around, they sit shoulder to shoulder. 

\--

His mother sits him down and stares at him. “You are worth more than you think,” she tells him. 

He stills, stops trying to get up and leave the room. He thought that this conversation was going to be something completely different. 

“I don’t know,” she starts, and then shakes her head. “I was blessed, with three children, and all three of them I love as much as I can. I may not have always done the right thing by y’all, but I’ve always tried, I really always have tried. I just want you to know, there is more to life than living here, you can do anything you put your mind to.”

Jamie opens his mouth and then closes it. “Thanks,” he says quietly. 

“I mean it, Jamie,” she says. “You’re one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met, and I don’t want to see you stuck in this town twenty years down the line for any reason. You are worth far more than you think you are.” 

The room falls silent, and she pulls him into a hug, presses a kiss to his forehead and leaves several college applications in her wake. 

He doesn’t look at them, but after a moment, pushes them into a folder to look at later. 

\--

Tyler stumbles upon the half-filled out applications while looking for Jamie’s homework to copy. 

Jamie only notices something is wrong when the Tyler goes still. He looks up from his book and frowns when he sees Tyler looking at the folder. 

“You should,” Tyler says. “You should go to college, you’d be good there.” 

Jamie snorts and sits up. “Like I would, what would I even do?” 

“I dunno,” he says, gently setting the papers down and finally looking over at Jamie. “You’d be good at anything though.” 

Jamie hums, but doesn’t say anything back, just taps his pencil against his homework. “Yeah, but I could be good at things that don’t cost money to learn.” 

Tyler pushes Jamie’s computer chair closer to the bed, hesitantly puts his feet up there. “Sure you could, but what do you want?” 

Jamie glances up, meets Tyler’s eyes for a second before flicking back down to the papers in his hand. 

“Yeah,” Tyler sighs. “Me too.” 

\--

“I got my three hundred hours done,” Tyler says, one night at his house. 

“Yeah?” Jamie asks, letting his hands go slack on the controller. 

“Aw hell,” his sister Candace says. “It’s all he’s talked about for two days.”

“What’s this?” his dad asks. 

Tyler drops his controller and turns around on the couch. “When did you get home?” 

“Just now. What’s all this that you’ve been talking about for two days?” 

The room is eerily silent for a few moments and Tyler lifts a shoulder. “Got my three hundred hours for CPDT-KA training done.” 

“CP what?” 

Jamie shares an uneasy glance with Candace, who quickly gathers her things and leaves the living room. Jamie fiddles with the controller. 

“Just a dog thing, dad. Mom said it could help me make money while I go through college,” Tyler smiles at his dad, and Jamie looks down and presses his knee against Tyler in support instead of looking at Tyler’s dad. 

“Huh,” he says, and undoes his tie. 

“Y’know, just walking dogs, training them a little, and stuff--” 

“You need three hundred hours of training to walk a fucking dog?” his dad snaps. Jamie flinches. 

“Well, I mean, a little bit more--”

“You’re home early, Paul,” Tyler’s mom breezes in and presses a kiss to his cheek. Jamie can see Candace and Cassidy in the kitchen, peeking into the living room.

“Tyler was just telling me he needed three hundred hours to become a glorified dog walker.” 

Tyler’s mom pulls her shoulders back and Jamie sinks into the couch a little. Tyler slouches in a little. 

“A glorified dog walker,” she repeats. 

“Yeah, a fucking dog walker,” he snaps. “He’s gonna grow up thinking he can be a fucking dog walker, and make fucking money.” He drops his briefcase and throws a hand up in the air. 

“I work my ass off for this house, and he thinks he can just waltz through life with his best friend, fucking around playing Halo, and then go walk some fucking dogs or get the dogs to have a fucking litter. Like life is that easy!” 

The house is silent. 

Jamie’s soul feels like it’s leaving his body, and he won’t look up at all. 

“Leave.” 

The anger seems to leave Paul at once, his shoulders lowering quickly and looking over at Jackie. 

“What did you just say?” 

“You think you own this house? You think you can talk to my son like he’s an idiot? Leave. Take your shit and get out.” 

“I do own--” 

“You do not and have not ever owned this house and you know it, Paul Seguin. Get the hell outta my house, that I bought with my own damn money, by being a glorified dog walker, for the record” 

Paul takes a step back. Then he takes a step forward, and Tyler is over the couch and standing between them. “She said get out,” he says. 

Paul glares at Tyler, glances at Jamie, and finally sees Cassidy and Candace in the kitchen watching the argument. He takes another step back and then walks for the door. 

When the door closes behind him, everyone in the house just breathes.

\--

The next night, while Jamie is cooking at the diner, everyone pesters him for details. He just focuses on serving up plates as the orders appear.

The only time he bothers to do anything is when Jake from up the road comes in and starts talking about how Paul left because-- well, actually, Jamie doesn’t even let him finish. He just flips Jake’s plate over and kicks him out of the diner. 

In fact, Jamie follows him out. 

\--

Graduation is only two weeks away. 

\--

None of his college applications are filled out, and the deadlines passed weeks ago. 

\--

“So where are we going to stay? Dallas?” Tyler asks the night Jamie walks out. 

“Jordie will let us stay on his couch for a month,” Jamie figures, leaning back. He still smells like fried food, but he knows Tyler is used to the smell by now. 

Tyler swipes a hand through Jamie’s hair and then sighs. “So we’re really doing it?” 

“Do you want to?” Jamie asks. 

Tyler hesitates, and Jamie thinks of all the futures he’s been building and hoarding in his heart. 

“Can I keep the dogs?” 

“That’s the dumbest question ever, of course you can keep the dogs,” Jamie shakes his head, and feeling brave, tackles him to his bed. Tyler grins up at him, eyes bright. 

\--

“Y’know?” Tyler says, straightening his tie and looking in his mirror. “I always wanted you to kiss me under the bleachers.” 

Jamie’s hands fumble his own tie and he looks at Tyler with wide eyes. 

“Or press you against the locker like Rhett does with his girls,” Tyler says. “Or, god, I wanted to take you to Prom and dance with you. I wanted to hold your hand at lunch, and fix your fucked up hair, and wear your clothes and share food and, fuck. I wanted to do all of it with you. You know that, right?” 

Jamie nods, the breath taken from his lungs. He takes a step closer, but then Candace pushes Tyler’s door open. “Mom’s ready,” she says, and then pauses, looking between them. She steps back in. 

“I’m happy for y’all,” she whispers, before darting off down the hallway. 

“Let me fix your stupid tie,” Tyler tells him. 

\--

Everyone else is out getting drunk somewhere, but Jamie is pulling Tyler through the barbed wire protecting the bleachers and ducking a steel frame.

“Are you serious?” Tyler asks. 

“Dead,” Jamie tells him, then reels him in, hands on Tyler’s hips. Tyler grins at him and loops his arms around Jamie’s neck. 

“Are you gonna be this romantic all the time?” Tyler asks. 

Jamie grins. “Probably not, but I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I found out what kissing meant.” 

“So like the third--” Jamie presses his lips against Tyler's, effectively silencing him.

They break apart into giggles a second later, but quickly sober when they hear a car drive by. They’re both hidden by the darkness of the bleachers and their dark suits, but still, Jamie’s breath catches. 

“Dallas tomorrow,” Tyler reminds him, then pulls him in for another kiss. Jamie is alive for this one, no giggles follow. 

The universe narrows down to remembering to breathe. It’s like getting punched in the gut, all the air escaping his body, except better. Like a star blowing up around him. Tyler’s hands slip through his hair and Jamie shudders, pulling back a bit. 

The world blinks back into life around them and Tyler looks just as breathless as he feels. 

“I love you,” Tyler whispers. 

“I love you too.” Jamie whispers back, pressing their foreheads together and letting his eyes fall closed with a sigh. 

\--

Anyone that needs to know anything knows where they’re going. They don’t bother with goodbyes. 

\--

Tyler sings along with the radio and holds Jamie’s hand over the console. He leaves his clothes on the floor of their studio, but bitches about dishes getting put away in the sink. 

Its like relearning Tyler all over again and Jamie has never had an ache at the corner of his mouth from smiling so hard or so much. 

\--

“You did good,” Jordie says. They’re watching Tyler challenge half of Jordie’s friends to a drinking contest. 

Most of them scoff and shake their heads, muttering about jail bait as they break away from the group and go dance. 

“Yeah,” Jamie says, smiling when Tyler pouts and walks back to him. He’s still covered in dog hair from work, and Jamie probably smells horrible from the cars he worked under all day, but Tyler curls up next to him in the booth anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for small town, southern homophobia and verbally abusive parent. (it's not condoned by the narrative)


End file.
